Friday's announcement from the State Department of Water Resources could deeply impact the water providers that serve some 200,000 customers in the Tri-Valley area.

A wholesaler that serves several cities here in the Tri-Valley area, water managers at Zone 7 says they think they'll be OK thanks to some advance planning, but it will be a difficult road ahead.

"It's more complicated is the way we put it; we have to control the rate at which we take water out to meet the demands of the people and be cognizant of our abilities to recharge it," Zone 7 Board Member John Greci said.

Zone 7 supplies water to various city agencies in Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin. In good times, 80 percent of its supply comes from the Department of Water Resources. Now without any allocation, Zone 7 will turn to its backup plan, which is to rely on a series of wells and an expanding system to capture groundwater.

About 60 percent of the water in the Del Valle Reservoir belongs to Zone 7. It's down about 15 feet right now, which is normal, but the big question is, will it get refilled?

"I was teasing the guy the other day that pretty soon we're going to be fishing out there by that buoy, you know," fisherman Sal Saavedra said.

This week, Zone 7's board of directors declared a drought emergency asking for voluntary conservation of 20 percent in the Tri-Valley area.